


Swan Song

by doctorbuffypotterlock79



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 22:46:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18860494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorbuffypotterlock79/pseuds/doctorbuffypotterlock79
Summary: Spoilers for S11 E12. Brooke and Vanjie steal a moment during Untucked.





	Swan Song

**Author's Note:**

> So I know none of us have recovered from THAT episode, and it was begging for a fic. So here's some short, angsty Branjie set during Untucked.

He needs air.

The other three are chatting away, carefree, and Brooke would give anything to be in their place. He knows he’ll probably have to talk to Vanjie at least once for the cameras, but he wants a moment alone with her, away from all the noise and prying eyes. Brooke motions over to her, and the two find themselves on the ramp outside, both trying to be strong but neither doing a very good job. 

And even though barely five minutes ago Brooke had declared it was neither of their faults, he can’t help but feel guilty. If he wins this, he’ll be taking away her dream, a dream she worked so hard for. 

“Vanj, I’m- I’m so sorry,” he stammers. Out here, with no cameras monitoring them, he’s losing the sense of control he had in the studio. 

“Brooke, stop,” Vanjie says, firm but kind, reaching up to place a steadying hand on his shoulder. She lowers her hand and rubs circles on his back, the touch so soothing it’s almost enough to make him forget the circumstances. Almost. “It’s not your fault, it’s not my fault, we can’t blame ourselves,” she repeats his earlier words, and Brooke thinks she’s trying to convince herself just as much as she is him. 

“I know, I know. This just...sucks,” he mumbles. He doesn’t quite have the words for everything he’s feeling. He feels heartbreakingly sad, and furious, and maybe even a little used. That whole time receiving critiques on stage had been like watching a car crash unfold right before his eyes, but being helpless to stop it. He’d like to have some hope that maybe Silky will be in the bottom and spare him and Vanjie, but he knows there’s no way both of them will be here after tonight. At some point when he was standing there, a cold wave washed over him as he realized how _perfect_ all of it was: why not play up the sheer drama of having the two queens in a relationship have to sing against each other? He really isn’t that surprised. There’s no other way this could have gone down, no way out of this. This is really, truly it. It’s almost like the whole competition has been leading to this inevitable moment, this car crash, and he is powerless against it. But, why, _why_ , did it have to be Vanjie? It wasn’t _fair_. Singing against anyone would have been bad enough, but _her_? 

“Stop spiralling,” Vanjie says softly, taking both his hands in her own.

Brooke doesn’t even pretend that he’s not panicking, knowing Vanjie would see through the lie instantly. 

“It is what it is, baby. If you ask me, both our asses got played. Once they started judging us, I just knew. All about the drama,” she mutters bitterly. “I was always afraid of this, but when we made it this far I thought we might be okay. It’s like they were waiting to drop it on us. I don’t want to do this anymore than you do, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” Vanjie continues, pulling Brooke down to kiss him. 

The kiss is everything he needs, calming him down and taking his mind off their impending doom and redirecting it to Vanjie, to the softness of her lips, to her small body against his. Brooke could kiss her for the rest of his life, but he finally pulls away. 

“We probably have to go back in there,” Brooke points out sadly. He’d love nothing more than to just stay out here with Vanjie, maybe even run away, and not have to do the lip sync he knew was coming. 

“Yeah, I guess. Whatever happens, Brooke-” Vanjie breaks off as her voice cracks, shattering Brooke’s heart along with it. Vanjie takes a deep breath and steadies her shoulders. “Whatever happens, I love you.”

“I love you too. No matter what,” Brooke replies, tears filling his eyes. He wipes at them and wills himself to stop, knowing he’s about to go back in front of the cameras. He knows they would probably love to see this vulnerability from him, but the whole thing feels orchestrated and cheap and he wants this moment to be between him and Vanjie. 

She takes his hand and looks up at him. Brooke stares into her brown eyes, wanting to hold onto their softness, their warmth, just a bit longer. 

“You ready?” she asks. 

Brooke’s not and he never will be. But he nods anyway, squeezing Vanjie’s hand as they walk inside to meet their fates.


End file.
